The ultrastructure of smooth cardiac muscle in the clam, Venus mercenaria

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Abstract
A fine structural study of the ventricular muscle of Venus mercenaria has revealed that it is an invertebrate smooth muscle. In the relaxed state induced by acetylcholine, both thick (350 Å) and thin (80 Å) myofilaments are observed. These are loosely distributed in bundles in the periphery of the mononucleated myocytes. The central core of the cell contains an ovoid nucleus, α‐glycogen rosettes, round mitochondria and numerous smooth surfaced vesicles of the endoplasmic reticulum. After exposure to serotonin, all myofilaments are compacted in the peripheral cytoplasm and become oriented parallel to the longitudinal cellular axis. This produces contraction bands visible in phase contrast microscopy. Because these myofilaments attach to the cell membrane at sites of attachment plaques, contraction of the cell results in the serial evagination or blebbing of the cell surface. The above features are clearly demonstrable in this invertebrate smooth muscle and strongly suggest a sliding filament model as the contractile mechanism in this tissue. Moreover, the cell surface is thought to play an active and major role in that process.